National Library of Sweden, A 141
The Epistles of Paul with commentary
France, 11th century, second half, or 12th century, first quarter
Parchment
i, 124 leaves
295–300 × 205 mm
Latin
f. 1 and ff. 123r–124v are the old medieval pastedown and endleaf.
Besides the commentary in the margin the main text is also interspersed with interlinear glosses written by the same hand. f. 122 is only half as wide as the other leaves.
f. 122A consists of a small piece of parchment attached to the quire. f. 122Ar contains the end of the commentary, f. 122Av contains an addition by a later hand.
Secundo folio
Romani sunt partesSupport
Foliation
Collation
Condition
Textblock
Small holes in the parchment here and there without loss of text, except for on f. 49 where text has been lost.Layout
Layout 1
Layout 2
Additions
Binding/Endleaves
Textblock
Decorations
Textblock
Main text in brown ink, capitals in red or touched with red, rubrics in red.
(ff. 10r–105r): zoomorph initial ‘P’ over 8-11 lines. Every new book is introduced by a complex zoomorph P (in Paulus). These letters are outlined in ink and coloured. Main colours: red, blue, green, and yellow. In some cases, e.g. (f. 70v), only blue and red are used. The motives are zoomorph (mainly dragons) with knotwork and architectural elements (columns, acanthus), sometimes combined and sometimes isolated. Above these large initials smaller plain intials over 2-3 lines (+ extending below the line) in red or blue are usually found. These initials belong to a short introductionary paragraph. On (f. 88v) and (f. 93r) instead of the plain initials smaller versions of the zoomorph initials are used.
(f. 106r): zoomorph initial ‘M’ over 4 lines. Same style of motif and colours as the larger initials;
(ff. 7r–103v): plain initials over 1-3 lines (extending above and below the line) in red;
(ff. 3r–5r): missing initials. Guide letters in lead, possibly by a later hand.
Binding
Early modern binding. Parchment over cardboard. Spine, in dark ink: ‘12’; in dark ink: ‘Epistolae Pauli Lat.’; remains of a label; stamped in gold: ‘A 141’.
Provenance
According to a 15th century note on f. 123v the manuscript belonged to the chuch of Saint Legier (Leodegar); an early modern note on f. 1r specifies the place to Loudun.
Brought to Sweden by Queen Christina (possibly bought from Paul Pétau's collection) and remained in the Royal library after her abdication.
Listed in Vossius’s catalogue from 1651 (U 202:1) and in the catalogue from 1734 (U 125e) as ‘no 12. Theol. in fol.’.
- Gyllene böcker (1952), p. 28, no. 19.
- Illuminated manuscripts (1963), p. 9.